The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1887-09-08
DENIES IT IN TOTO.
RODERICK RANDOM BUTLER ON THE
BRIBERY QUESTION
HAe Says the Knoxville Editor
Has SIandered Him,
And Gives a Detailed Statement Of
the Affair.

sense of two weeks out of the State on
professional business, l was handed
the american of the Sd inst. and my
attention directed to an article headed
"a Grave Charge" ETC., the article be-
ing taken from the Knoxville Journal
of the LIST inst. / at once procured a
copy of the Journal containing the
startling announcement of Buffers
bribery in great big letters. | ask you
to do me the kindness to insert this
communication in the american in an
swer 10 the falsehoods in the articles
in the Journal. The SANDER was not
intended to help prohibition, but to
get Butler out Of the way if a Repub-
lican should be elected President in
1888, If the virtuOus editor of the
Journal wants to be true to the people
OF the State, as he says, and to the
honorable calling in which he was en-
gagged, with malice toward none, in
stead of writing tissue of falsehoods,
he would have written me line ask
ing me how the matter was, ETC., and
/ would have given him the true facts
but no, he wanted to create an impress
sion that he was so good, so pure and
so honest that he would rush into
print with great leader-"Butlers
Bribe," etc. / have been told often
that he was hypocritical and insincere
in his professions Of friendship, but |
thought he had more honor than to
attack me without knowing what he
was writing about. l will learn him a
lesson that will do him good as long
as he lives. l propose to reply to his
article briefly, but pointedly, so l can
not be misunderstood.
In June last was attending the
Chancery Court at Bristol-one of the
courts that l regularly attended
George S. Kinney and Charles Nelson
of Nashville, came to Bristol. | knew
nothing of their coming. They in.
formed me that they had started tt
| Mountain City, (my home) to see mt
and learned that was at Bristol a.
the Chancery Court also that l al
ways put up at the Hamilton House
and l have for many years. They
came in one evening and remained un
til the next night They went abou
all over the town just like other PEG
pie. introduced them to every on,
chat we came in contact with. / tolC
every one that inquired who they
t were, that they were two of the lar
! gest whisky men in the State. | toll
Mr.. Hamilton when they arrived, VIII
they were, | presume they had tn
9 right to visit Bristol without a PERM
= from the virtuous editor of the Jou1
h nal.
The editor of the Journal says
while there they made a contract wit
It me, as he was informed and believes
J. and charges that l was to oppose tn
# amendment, and was to receive as
consideration, 81 900 to be paid dowr
81 900 later, and 5000 if | carried m
y Congressional district against tn
r amendment. A grosser falsehood neN
Il er was uttered. refused to make
canvass was determined that no ma
should say that | influenced him t
vote against the amendment, or trie
n to. They came to see me a secon
n time. reused again. Col. Gree
h was with them. He asked me to max
some speeches against the amendmer
D | told him would not, as | wante
e everyone to vote just as he pleased.
j. don't want the Republicans to spl
q up and quarrel upon this question
He asked me to write letter defnin
. my position, stating my objections
s. the amendment. | read him a pa
e of a letter l had written in answer to
v neighbor of his, Mr.. Brown, who wf
: a strong prohibitionist, asking m
" views, etc, on the question. l hoy
l. received several letters from friends
l. both sides. When | came to Moul
d tain City, | finished my letter
~ Brown, of Lee Valley, Hawkins Coul
y ty, and intended to have it copied, {
le | don't write very good hand an
10 mail it to him which had not tin
it to do. / went to Knoxville the ne,
ID day, and to Nashville on my way
~ Indiana to take proof in a law sui
When | got to Nashville | got I'll
Hon. j. j. Littleton's letter at IL
Maxwell House, asking my views, etC
on the amendment ] scratched OF
b. Browns name and inserted Littl
m toms, as he was newspaper man an
4, we'll known in the State. That is IL
" history of the letter. AS to Gree
II meeting me at Mountain City, it
ri like the other matter bare falsehoo
ID The article in the Journal state
20 that had circulated the address
~ George S. Kinney that 500 copi,
had been sent me to Unicoi Coul
IS etc. Charles Nelson, an old person
is and political friend, sent 200 copies
Maj. Kinney's address to me at Ur
col, with a note asking me to har
VI them to the people, so that they cou
ry see both sides. When / reached cou
lie my landlord, Loudon Phillips, h,
or got them out of the postoffice and ia
en- them to my room. / handed the
" to the people to read MS requested
Just what | would have done or do {
~ any old friend and acquaintance.
rk The biggest rascal always cri
- "Stop thief" and turns States e,
" dence. AS to my agreeing to car
- my district against the amendmeI
the proof of its falsehood is within Il
knowledge of every voter in the d
Oh trict. No man can be found that
go have tried to influence against Il
b. amendment. | have not been in h,
!. of the counties of the district for {,
y months. The Tennessee Tomahaw
yS published, owned and edited by n
n son-in-law, who lives with me, is a